With 43 goals and 62 assists in 68 games, Parascak led all rookies in the Western Hockey League in scoring and was second on Prince George in goals. Zac Funk, whom Washington signed as an undrafted free agent in April, led the team with 67 goals.
“I kind of went on a little bit of a tear at the start and was hot, and I think they started calling me that after that broadcast,” Parascak said. “It just caught on. Everybody calls me that now. … Definitely got a little bit old after a while. I don’t love the attention that much like that, but obviously super cool to have a nickname like that.”
Macklin Celebrini went first overall to the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini, who turned 18 just two weeks before the draft, won the Hobey Baker award as the top player in college hockey — and the youngest — with a 64-point season in 38 games at Boston University.
About 90 minutes later, Parascak heard his name called. His 105-point season was something of a revelation. As a 16-year-old, he was sent back to the Edge School for another year of prep hockey rather than joining the WHL full time as most high-end prospects do at 16. Parascak got a taste of the WHL that season, playing five games scattered throughout the campaign, but didn’t record a point in those four games. At Edge, he averaged more than a goal per game, with 32 goals and 34 assists in just 30 games.
“Really intelligent player. Really, really smart player,” said Washington assistant general manager Ross Mahoney, who oversees amateur scouting. “Sees the ice really well. Has a really good touch around the net. … Hard-working kid. Really like the hands and the hockey sense.”
Looking back now, still processing everything that has happened in the past 12 months, Parascak believes he wouldn’t have become a first-round pick without that extra year of prep hockey.
“Understanding what it takes to jump to a junior level like that,” Parascak said of his leap this season. “I got a little taste for it the year before and just kind of took that information and took it into that last year there. … I wasn’t in a position where I would get enough ice time to really develop my skills and didn’t want to really kind of ruin my development that way. Got them to send me back and build tons of confidence, so I was able to come into this season and do what I did.”
Parascak was projected to go later in the first round or even early in the second in most mock drafts, making his selection at No. 17 potentially a bit of a reach, but the lack of consensus in this draft class opened the possibility of teams taking swings on players for whom they had a particular affinity.
When Parascak heard his name called by General Manager Brian MacLellan, the look of surprise on his face was evident across the enormous screen at the Sphere.
“Just the whole experience of everything, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Parascak said, noting that he had several meetings with the Capitals ahead of the draft. “It was all kind of, just play everything by ear. That was my whole year, just go with the flow of everything. I was definitely surprised but couldn’t be more excited.”
Parascak’s awareness of the game is perhaps his biggest strength, according to scouting reports, which highlight his off-puck positioning and understanding of how to put himself — or his linemates — in positions to score. Whether he’s shooting the puck himself or setting up a teammate, Parascak seems to have a keen grasp of where the scoring areas are, and how to get there.
“Parascak’s off-puck timing and spatial awareness have defined his game, as he regularly gets into the right spots at the right time to bang home rebounds, tap in backdoor passes or get out in transition to give his D a stretch option on outlets (without really cheating for it),” wrote the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, who had Parascak as the 20th-ranked draft prospect. “He anticipates play offensively and defensively at a very high level, knows how to get open and play to his linemates’ strengths, has a great wrister and one-touch shot from midrange, always goes to the net when the play funnels there instead of hanging out wide, and has skill around the net and in tight to his body when challenged by defenders.”
The next step of Parascak’s development will be to add muscle to his 6-foot, 179-pound frame, which he believes will help improve his skating and give him another gear to reach.
And after taking a slightly unconventional route to being a first-round pick, Parascak views that route as additional motivation to reach the NHL.
“Everything I’ve been through so far has been a learning experience,” Parascak said. “Definitely been cut from quite a few teams growing up and taken that all as a learning experience. That’s kind of shaped me into the person and player I am. Nothing’s ever going to be given to you. You have to earn everything. Everything happens for a reason. Just taking all those things and being able to face adversity like that and hopefully get to where I want to be one day.”
